Immunization Side Effects

Vaccine Side Effects

Influenza Immunization Side Effects

January 30th, 2012

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Influenza immunizations, or flu vaccines, come in two forms. Although each type has its own typical side effects, these effects can overlap and may be different for different age groups. The classic flu vaccine, the flu shot, is grown in eggs from a virus that is inactivated (unable to cause the flu). Conversely, the newer nasal mist vaccine is made from a live virus that is weakened. Both types have side effects from the vaccine content and from the way they are administered.

Injection Site Reactions

The most common reaction to a flu shot is irritation at the administration site, which includes soreness, redness and swelling of the skin around the area near the vaccination. Other related reactions to the flu shot vaccine are an achy feeling and a very low-grade (100 degrees F or less) fever. These symptoms are part of the body’s response to a foreign substance, and are not the cold or flu itself. Injection site reaction side effects typically last about one or two days.

Flu-Like Symptoms

Common side effects of the nasal mist in adults are related to the nasal administration; headache, nose irritation, sore throat and cough are all possible. Adults are unlikely to experience a flu-like fever, vomiting or wheezing. However, flu-like symptoms of runny nose, wheezing, achy feeling, fever and vomiting are possible in healthy kids (2 and older) who receive the mist.

Guillain-Barre Syndrome

Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) is a severe and sudden disease that causes the body to damage its own nerve cells. This attack causes muscle weakness, sometimes even to the point of paralysis, which may be temporary (i.e., weeks to months). GBS is probably caused by a primary infection, especially in the lungs or intestines; however, occurrences of GBS during vaccinations for swine flu in 1976 appeared linked. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the risk of developing GBS as a result of influenza immunization is approximately one in a million.

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Key Facts About Seasonal Flu Vaccine
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Seasonal Flu and Guillain-Barre Syndrome